Taxi Strike - DC cab drivers strike again over meter requirements
WASHINGTON (AP) District of Columbia taxi drivers on Monday
held the first of what organizers said would be weekly strikes protesting the mayor's decision to require meters in cabs beginning in April.
At the Phoenix Park Hotel across from Union Station, front desk agent Will Jacobs said that while there were fewer taxis than usual, it was not too difficult to find a ride. ``I just saw three cabs drive by,'' he said while looking out the window.
It was unclear exactly how many cab drivers were participating in the 12-hour strike, which began at 7 a.m. William J. Wright, president of the Taxicab Industry Group, estimated that 90 percent of the city's approximately 7,500 drivers were staying off the streets.
Wright, whose group also organized a Halloween strike to protest the meters, said Monday's strike would be followed by another work stoppage next Tuesday, with strikes continuing once a week on rotating days until Mayor Adrian M. Fenty changed the new rules for the city's taxi industry.
The time-and-distance meter system for calculating fares, which begins April 6, is similar to what is used in other big cities. It is designed to be less confusing for passengers than the city's existing system, which consists of 22 concentric areas radiating out from a central downtown zone.
Drivers, however, worry the change will cause a loss of business because passengers no longer will be able to predict their fares. They also say the planned $3 base rate for trips is too low to make a living.
